When In Doubt, Just Start
January 2, 2006 by Anne Wayman
Filed under Jobs
A couple of weeks ago I signed a new contract to ghostwrite a book. Since then I’ve been reading the material given me by the author. We’ve agreed on a way to present his material and developed a rough table of contents. Yesterday I told my client is was time for me to start writing. There are still a gillion questions that need to be answered about the book, but we’re at the place where, in my experience, we can’t tell what’s important and what’s not. The only way I know through is to begin writing.
So I’ve been mentally pacing, doing everything but writing. As usual, I don’t really have a clue how this book writing actually gets done. But I also know that nothing much happens until the writing actually begins. And so I started.
About 450 words in, I’ve already run into a problem… well, not exactly a problem, but a place where I can head down one road or another. At this point, I don’t know exactly what to do. One direction could be a distraction; it might be a critical point. And it’s not necessarily my decision. After some more pacing, I decide simply to indicate [with brackets so it’s easy to find] the possibility of the direction I suspect might be a distraction and head on down the other path.
But the real point is I’ve started. I’ve broken the ice and put words on paper. Is my beginning any good? At the moment I sort of like it, but it doesn’t matter. It’s all editable and rewriteable. I’ve started. (Hmmm… maybe I’ll write a whole article on starting ;))
…time passes and I did write an article that develops this idea a bit more.
Write well and often,
I’ve found out that starting is indeed a milestone for me as well. Before that, it’s like I allow myself to procrastinate; once it’s done, I feel that I need to go to the end, without turning back, without asking myself too many questions. There comes a moment when we need to jump in the water (even if it’s not that good), else nothing gets done.
yep! exactly how I experience it
I agree wholeheartedly! Just jump straight in and do it!
I have a particularly hard time writing sadly (although some would disagree – LOL)
What I mean is it is difficult for me to write upsetting scenes, where a character is upset, sad, or crying.
I’ve been struggling with a chapter like that for a month now, forcing myself to write at least a couple of paragraphs every now and then to get through it, because it is so difficult. I know it is necessary to the story, but it makes ME feel upset – LOL